


Levaya's peregrination through alteration and accepting

by Imandra_Pipkin



Series: Hunter's Moon Bingo 2020 [4]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), malec - Fandom
Genre: A story in a fic, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Ambush, Book reading, Books, Enchanted Spring, Explicit Description of Violence, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Happy Endings (plural!), LGBTQ+ support, Levaya:, M/M, Major Character Injury, Malec:, Maybe a bit Angst, Mystery Legend, Q&A, Superior Entity, Wish Fulfillment, Writer Alec Lightwood, horse, m&g, two stories in one fic, wolf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28653171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imandra_Pipkin/pseuds/Imandra_Pipkin
Summary: There are moments in life when you are in desperate need of some kind of source that fulfills your wishes; a golden lamp that you can rub, a fountain into which you can throw coins, it doesn't matter, Alec is too desperate to be picky. Because he's in one of these situations right now. A good hour before his very first book reading and his publisher expects him to attend this event with a boyfriend which of course he does not have to show.Sometimes an ordinary coffee shop in New York is such a magical place, at least when Magnus Bane is one of the customers.
Relationships: Levin from Moya/Cahaya from Chulak, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Hunter's Moon Bingo 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017141
Comments: 26
Kudos: 50
Collections: SHBingo 20-21





	Levaya's peregrination through alteration and accepting

**Author's Note:**

> Hunter's Moon bingo Prompt 4: True love's kiss

Alec adjusts the strap of his satchel on his shoulder, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. He looked up and re-studied the various coffee varieties in the café, which were handwritten on a large blackboard that hung on the wall.

He took his cell phone out of his left front pocket to check the time. He had left home earlier with purpose to be prepared for any eventuality. He'd rather be early than late, even if it meant he had way too much time to kill now, which wasn't good for his nerves. 

But to know that he would be late while he was still on his way would have turned his stomach into a stoney hedgehog and the trip would have strained his nerves even more. In addition, he hated long car journeys, he avoided driving longer than two, or at most three, hours. The fact that he was completely unfamiliar with the route before him did nothing to loosen his tense shoulders.

Alec put his cell phone back in his pocket. He wrapped the loose end of the strap around his finger until he reached the buckle. He pulled his finger out of the roll, causing the leather strap to drop down and remain in a slight upward curve. Alec tried to straighten the leather strap by wrapping it the other way around his finger.

He put the other hand in his right trouser pocket and took out the change that he counted on his open palm. He looked at the two people standing in line in front of him and put the coins back in his trouser pocket.

Absentmindedly he was playing with the zipper of his jacket when he checked the blackboard again to see if his favorite coffee was on offer.

Alec lived in Auburn, New Hampshire. His house was in a secluded spot with its own access to Massabesic Lake, far enough from the marina to be undisturbed. He needed this solitude to work. When he took a walk through the forest in the morning or looked out the window at the lake in the afternoon, he found enough inner peace and inspiration to write.

On the bookshelf across from his desk were the four other trilogies he had written so far. Sometimes this sight gave him the proud confidence to be able to find the right words to create new worlds in which his queer protagonists had to find their way in order to fulfill their destiny. Sometimes he had the feeling that they looked at him admonishingly when he stared into the void for too long, they asked him, no, they pushed him to continue when he had doubts about himself. 

None of his neighbors or the people he met on his rare visits to the nearest town to shop knew that Alec had already brought out several bestsellers under the name A. G. Archer.

His second book, the continuation of the Levaya saga, had replaced the novel by a very well-known woman on the bestseller list four weeks ago, which had been there for five months. 

Since his editor announced that A. G. Archer would be coming to New York to sign his books at the publishing house, all social media platforms had been going crazy. Not that Alec noticed, because he didn't even have a Facebook account. His editor, Lydia Branwell, kept him updated on this. 

It was Alec's first book signing at which a few journalists were expected and it had taken a lot for Lydia to persuade Alec to do so. She'd pulled out all the stops, from flattery and promises to threats to drive over to him and camp on his couch for the next few weeks if he didn't accept. 

Lydias' promise to postpone the deadline for the third and final part of the saga finally made Alec give in. Because more time was something Alec urgently needed. All he had right now was just the first three chapters. 

He didn't suffer from writer's block, that would be too much to say, he just lacked the right idea to advance the plot, to drift to where he had a clear idea of what was going to happen. But in the middle there was an abysmal nothingness. 

Alec was not satisfied with what he had written so far, it didn't work out the way he wanted. His protagonists simply refused to fall in love with each other. He couldn't even make them kiss. It was frustrating. 

Just like his own love life. Not to mention his non-existent sex life. That was the disadvantage of living so reclusive. The opportunity to meet anyone he could date simply didn't arise.

It was some time since his college days when he had his last relationship. He did not mourn after his time with Andrew. Outside of the bedroom, they didn't really have much in common, they didn't go well together in the long run. 

The sex wasn't bad, but Alec felt it had always been missing something, even if he couldn't quite tell what it was. The right spark was missing. He wrote about ecstasy and blissful fulfillment, but had never experienced it himself.

Now he was standing here in this café, excited, nervous, and ordered his favorite coffee: Red Eye with milk. 

  
  


༺ ∘ ༻

Magnus shook his head with a slight smile when he heard the order from the man in front of him. He had been standing in line for a while behind this dark, tall and handsome man who didn't even notice that he was being watched. A circumstance that Magnus had shamelessly exploited. 

"Darling, are you sure about the coffee? You're already quite nervous. That extra kick of caffeine won’t make it any better," he said from behind without further ado.

Surprised, the man turned around, blinked two or three times and sported a lopsided smile.

Magnus already found his profile attractive, but nothing prepared him for those sensational, warm, hazel eyes and a smile that simply had to be returned. 

"Maybe you're right and I really better have a darjeeling tea." 

Magnus tilted his head. "To calm down, I would rather suggest a lemon balm tea."

The man made a (very adorable) pensive face for a moment and passed his order and name (Alec) on to the barista. 

He turned back to Magnus and smiled that stunning smile again.

"I have an appointment in about two hours and I want to kill my time here. I hope the tea will have its full effect by then."

When his name was called, Alec added: "Thanks for the suggestion. I ... um ... have to ..." He pointed to the drinks counter at the end of the bar. 

"See you around," Magnus said and looked after Alec, while he sat down at a small table a little to one side.

Magnus waited for his own order, took his coffee and cake and looked around for a free seat in the café. The table next to Alec was the only one that wasn't occupied. What a wonderful coincidence.

Alec looked up and smiled at Magnus as he sat across from him at the next table, facing him. Not because of the good view of the attractive stranger. 

Not entirely without ulterior motives, Magnus leaned the little piece of paper on which the barista had written his name against the small vase of flowers so that Alec could read his name.

Alec raised his teacup in greeting when his cell phone rang. It was clear to see that he felt completely awkward to attract attention in the café. With an embarrassed smile, he looked around and fumbled the phone out of his front pocket. He accepted the call and spoke in a low voice.

༺ ∘ ༻"

Hey, Lydia! Is everything ready for later?" Alec was a little worried that his editor called him before the appointment, but maybe that was normal. He didn't know. It was Alec's first reading, after all.

"Alec, it's good that you answer the phone," he heard Lydia's voice, relieved. "Where are you now? Are you still on your way?"

"No, I'm already here in NY. I'm sitting in a café around the corner. Why do you ask?" Alec stacked the elongated sugar sticks, which were available for the guests in decorative glasses on each of the tables, like jenga blocks on top of each other.

"Have you checked Twitter and Instagram? Melissa Miles found out about your reading today and is now unleashing a storm."

"Lydia, you know I'm not on Twitter or anything like that." His gaze flew to the man who sat across from him at the next table. With his eyes closed, he licked the chocolate off the upturned cake fork with relish.

_Don't get distracted, Lightwood._

But seriously, when did he have such an opportunity to look at such a gorgeous man?

"She posted on Twitter and Instagram that an untrustworthy writer unjustifiably took her place on the bestseller list.

At the moment #fakeagarcher is trending." 

"I'm not credible as a writer? What is that even supposed to mean?" Alec frowned. With two fingers he unscrewed the lid of the salt shaker that was standing next to the now empty glass in which the sugar sticks had been in.

"She sees you as her toughest competition. It won't be long before the Christmas sales start. It's already June." 

Alec put the lid back on the salt shaker. "Well, it may well be, she sees me as competition. But for me she isn't. These are completely different genres."

"I looked at a few of the comments. You have an incredibly strong and very supportive fan base out there. Still, there are a few who agree that you aren't authentic enough."

Alec's hand froze halfway to the pepper shaker. "Excuse me? Are you fucking kidding me?" Alec looked around, making sure he wasn't the center of attention, and continued speaking a little more quietly. "What do you mean, I am not authentic enough?"

Magnus amused smirk hadn't escaped him. Alec shrugged apologetically.

"How should I put it? Melissa Miles questions the plausibility of your saga."

"Seriously? Aside from the ridiculousness of this allegation, the irony of this statement has not escaped you, has it?" 

Annoyed, Alec leaned back in his chair, and threw the teaspoon on the table with which he had drawn patterns on the wooden surface. "A straight woman who doesn't have the same target group as me, doubts the credibility of a fictional lgbtq+ fantasy story?" Alec rolled his eyes.

"The word heterophobic was also used."

"What? I'm heterophobic?" Alec sighed and stroked his forehead. "Can't the woman decide what exactly she wants to blame me for? What am I now? How can I be implausible as a lgbtq+ writer and heterophobic at the same time? Not to mention the fact that this word doesn't even exist."

"This woman has a lot of followers on all social media platforms. In order not to let the whole thing end in a complete disaster, we should react quickly and effectively."

"What do you think I should do now?" Alec looked at the clock on the wall opposite. "I have to be there in a little over an hour."

"We will not only show your face to the world for the first time, but also present the reading in a stream on all platforms. The only thing missing is a boyfriend for you."

Alec tugged at one of the fringes on the small, square tablecloth. "Lydia, you know I'm single. My way of life is not exactly conducive to social contacts. Where am I supposed to find a boyfriend in a hurry?"

Alec looked up in surprise when suddenly Magnus was standing across from him at his table, a mischievous smile playing on those kissable lips. "You need a boyfriend? I would love to volunteer." 

Alec didn't move when Magnus put one hand on the table and grabbed Alec's cell phone with the other. Without breaking eye contact, he said: "Lydia, darling? This is Magnus, hi! Alec will call you back in a minute."

He put a finger under Alec's chin and closed his mouth. "Or better say in two minutes."

  
  


༺ ∘ ༻

It took Alec more than two minutes to call Lydia back.

"You are in need of a boyfriend, I'm free and available," Magnus stated without an apology for eavesdropping on the conversation.

Dexterously, he freed the small flower vase from Alec's clutches.

Without being impressed by any of the objections Alec raised, Magnus took his hand and pulled him from the chair.

"Get used to it," he commented on Alec's pointed look at their hands.

Since Magnus was already dragging him towards the exit, Alec had no choice but to follow him.

Magnus gallantly held the door open for Alec, his new boyfriend. "Lead the way."

"But…" 

"There's no but. Lydia is waiting, isn't she? So…" Magnus shooed him through the door.

Hand in hand they walked the short distance to the publishing house where the reading was to take place. A blond woman was waiting for them in the foyer, who introduced herself as Lydia. 

"Hi, Alec." Lydia looked at her favorite author with a warm smile. In the course of their collaboration, this young man has grown very dear to her.

"And you must be Magnus." She held out her hand to greet him properly. "I can't tell you how glad I am that you have agreed to accompany Alec today."

"Oh, I think the pleasure is all mine," Magnus replied nonchalantly. With a certain delectation he noticed the slight blush on Alec's cheeks. 

Lydia looked from Magnus to Alec and back again. She laughed softly when Magnus winked at her.

"We still have a little time before the reading starts. Shall we go to my office?" Without waiting for the answer, she turned and headed for one of the doors.

She offered her two visitors a chair and sat down behind her desk. "Magnus, I don't know what the terms that you and Alec agreed to are."

"Conditions? Um, we didn't agree on anything." Alec tugged at the sleeve of his sweater.

Magnus took Alec's hand and interlaced their fingers. "We didn't have time to go into the details. I offered to be his boyfriend. And with the time ticking, Alec agreed."

Magnus looked at Alec. "So far we haven't gotten beyond holding hands." He raised both of their hands briefly and let them fall back onto Alec's thighs before turning to Lydia.

"I don't think 'more' will be needed, will it?" He studied Alec carefully. "Not that I am averse to 'more'. What do you think of that?"

The corner of Alec's mouth twitched in a lopsided smile. "Well, I could be amenable to... I don't know... a kiss, maybe."

"Just one?" Incredulously, Magnus shifted in his seat to face Alec. 

Alec looked a little helplessly at Lydia.

Magnus snorted. "You still have to work on your enthusiasm if you already lack the power of persuasion."

"I think it's more because of Alec's nervousness than a lack of enthusiasm that he reacted so cautiously," Lydia explained.

"You need to know, this is his first reading, his first public appearance. A lot depends on how this afternoon goes for him." 

Magnus looked at Alec, who nodded at Lydia's words. "Actually, I feel like throwing up." 

Magnus squeezed Alec's hand, who returned the grip. "I'll get you through this, don't worry."

Lydia looked at the clock. "Now let's get to the point, specifically, why I asked you two to come to my office. Magnus, I hope you realize that you cannot tell anyone about this 'arrangement'."

Magnus had sat up straight again in his chair. "I wasn't planning to, Lydia. Don't worry."

"I would like to refrain from contractually binding you to silence."

Magnus nodded in agreement.

"Then we come to the compensation you have in mind. After all, you are sacrificing some of your time."

At her words, Alec sat up in the chair, ready to object.

"Alec, of course you can say what's on your mind, but please let Magnus speak first."

Alec shifted restlessly on the edge of his chair, but nodded invitingly to Magnus.

Magnus looked from Lydia to Alec. "I wouldn't call it a sacrifice spending time with Alec."

His words earned him a brilliant smile from his boyfriend-for-a-day. And Magnus realized that there was only one point that bothered him about the whole thing.

"Alec, I will be by your side this afternoon as your boyfriend under one condition: Let me take you out on a date, a real date. I would love to have dinner with you to get to know you better. What do you say?"

Alec nodded. "Yes!" He tightened his grip on Magnus' hand, which he was still holding. "Yes, gladly!"

"What did you want to say earlier, Alec?" asked Lydia.

"Nothing. It’s not important."

Lydia stood up, which broke eye contact between the two men. "Then everything is settled. Come on, I'll show you the room where the reading will take place."

༺ ∘ ༻

  
  


They left Lydia's office and went to a small auditorium, in the back of which a kind of cozy living room was built, which was furnished with bookshelves, a couch and a low coffee table. 

Comfortable armchairs and small tables had been distributed for the guests in the rest of the room. Coffee, tea, water, cakes and pastries were offered on an elongated table at the entrance for self-service.

Suddenly Magnus gasped. He clutched his chest and felt for Alec's arm.

He had discovered the huge poster that advertised the book Alec was supposed to read.

"You are A. G. Archer?"

"Um, yes. Didn't you know?" Worried, Alec looked at Magnus. He didn't know how to interpret Magnus' reaction. Was that good? Was that bad? Did he hate his books? And if so, what did that mean for their plans this afternoon? More importantly, for his date with Magnus. 

Magnus grabbed Alec's arm with both of his hands. "I had no idea. I adore your books." 

Alec looked down at Magnus, who looked up at him with admiration. "You read it?"

"Yes, of course. Starting with the second book of your first saga, I pre-ordered every single one and picked them up in my bookstore on the day they were published." Magnus looked at the poster. 

"If I had known you were A. G. Archer, I would never have dared to pretend to be your boyfriend. I probably wouldn't even have spoken to you and asked for an autograph."

That admission took some of Alec's nervousness away. "It looks like the surprises are on both sides." He took Magnus' hand and led him to the sofa.

Still processing the whole thing, Magnus shook his head. "I didn't know who you were and you had no idea that I love your books." 

Lydia interrupted them. "The first guests are already gathering in front of the door. Alec, you come with me. Magnus, I suggest you sit on one of the chairs in the first row."

Magnus squeezed Alec's hand again before standing up and choosing the chair that would give him the best view of Alec.

Alec also got up to follow Lydia but was called back by Magnus. "Alec, wait a minute, please."

They met halfway. After a moment of hesitation, Magnus stood on tiptoe and pecked Alec's cheek.

"So that the first time I do this is only for us, not for the audience." He chuckled. "I just wanted to take some of the pressure off."

Alec leaned down and did the same for Magnus. "For us." He stroked Magnus' cheek before turning and leaving the room. 

When Alec reentered the room twenty minutes later, all the seats were occupied. The guests had placed their refreshments on the small tables between the armchairs and were whispering softly to one another. 

Alec found Magnus' eyes as he and Lydia approached the couch. Lydia greeted the guests and the press present, introduced herself and explained how the afternoon would go. 

"I am proud to introduce you all today to A. G. Archer, who has agreed to answer a few questions about his books and to read from the second book of the current Levaya saga." 

She turned to Alec. "Please welcome A. G. Archer."

Alec waited a moment for the audience's applause to die down. With a mischievous smile he noticed Magnus' enthusiasm. He waved to the guests. "Good afternoon guys." 

Lydia sat on the couch and Alec sat next to her. He was nervous. He could only hope that nobody could tell that he would like to grab Magnus' hand and run out of the room. 

He hated not knowing what to expect. He wasn't comfortable with unfamiliar situations. He looked over at Magnus, who gave him a reassuring smile.

Alec took a deep breath. He nodded to Lydia, who then allowed the first question. The guests wanted to know where he got his inspiration from, what motivated him to write, when he started writing. They asked him questions about the first book of the Levaya saga or just wanted to let him know how much his books meant to them.

Alec could relax a little. His fans were nice and interested in his books, the questions were easy to answer, even if he avoided revealing too much about the plot.

He had followed Magnus' earlier suggestion and asked Lydia for an herbal tea that was already on the table in front of him. In order to have something in his hands to ground him, he didn't put the empty cup back on the table.

Lydia next spoke to a man who introduced himself as Victor Aldertree, a journalist for Yin Fen Magazine. "Mr. Archer, are you aware of the ... reservations that a very renowned author has about you?"

Alec shifted in his seat. "I've heard rumors but haven't read anything specific." He looked at Magnus, who straightened up in his seat, ready to jump up at any time to intervene.

Aldertree looked at him skeptically. "I can hardly believe that, social media is full of this."

"That may be, I don't have any social media accounts." Alec replied wary.

Aldertree took out his cell phone. "How can that be? I'm one of your followers after all."

"The account you are following is managed by the publisher. It says so in the bio," Lydia interjected. "If you have no more questions about the current book, I would like to give the floor to another fan." She was already looking around the audience.

"Yes, I have a question about the current book that has been imposing on me since it was on the bestseller list," Aldertree persisted.

Lydia looked at Alec. One word from him and she would end the Q&A part of the gig.

Alec looked at Magnus, who clenched his hand in a fist and placed it on his chest.

"What do you want to know so badly?" Alec could feel the knot tighten in his stomach. He would rather get these questions over with here and now, personally, with Magnus and Lydia behind him, in the presence of his sincere fans, than let the legal department formulate statements afterwards, which were then published by the press department.

"You claim, or your publisher's press office boasts that all of your books have lgbtq backgrounds. Your protagonists in your latest saga are both gay, right?"

"No, that's not correct. Levin is gay, Cahaya is bisexual." Alec felt like he was on the stand at a trial on one of those TV shows. "But it is true that most of the characters in my books are queer."

"Can you understand that your credibility is being questioned? After all, there is no evidence whatsoever that you are nothing but straight and that you only portray your characters as gay to drive sales up."

Alec looked back at Magnus, who nodded encouragingly. 

"You want evidence? You want details of my private life, which is exactly that, private, and for good reason?" 

Aldertree plucked a non-existent lint from his jacket sleeve. "If you want to refute these rumors, you should be a little more honest. With your fans, of course."

"Well, my fans can count themselves lucky today that my very supportive boyfriend accompanied me here today." The sarcasm in that utterance made some of his fans laugh. Alec winked at the audience. He felt that the mood in the hall was on his side, which gave him the necessary succor for this inquisition. 

He beckoned Magnus to come to him, who raised an eyebrow questioningly in response. With a smile Alec nodded and Magnus stood up and walked over to him. Lydia gave him her seat and sat in one of the armchairs in this makeshift living room.

Magnus sat next to Alec. He placed a peck on his cheeks before taking the empty cup from his hand and set it on the small table. With Alec's hands free and not occupied, he interlaced their fingers.

Alec felt a sudden wave of calm wash through him. His nervousness was blown away by the warmth of Magnus' hand, upper arm and thigh touching him.

Alec gazed at Magnus who returned the look and Alec was still thinking what an excellent actor Magnus had to be to master this warmth in his smile, the glow in his orbs, when Victor's voice interrupted Alec's roaming eyes over Magnus beautiful face. "Where did you meet?"

Magnus chuckled. "In a coffee shop." His gaze grew even more fond when he smiled at Alec. "It was like one of those fan fictions. Just as incredible as you think it would be."

The audience commented on Magnus' description with a collective "Awwwwe."

Magnus looked at Alec's fans. "Actually very similar to Levin and Cahaya when they first met at the hostel in Dras-Leona."

Alec was grateful for Maganus' attempt to get the conversation back on track. He felt a lot more comfortable with his book as a topic than when his private life was under the microscope.

But Victor either didn't understand the hint or was deliberately ignoring it.

"And when did this world shattering event happen?"

Magnus raised Alec's hand to his lips. "It feels like it's only been an hour since the butterflies are still so excited in my stomach."

"How is it that we are only now finding out about this?"

Magnus sighed. Though a little annoyed, he still spoke very calmly. "Mr. Aldertree, Victor, don't you think you have outed yourself enough of being a jerk in the last fifteen minutes with your questions about his personal life? This is a book reading, a Q&A, an M&G. You deprive the real fans of the opportunity to interact with their favorite author. The focus is on an extremely talented writer who creates these amazing fantasy worlds for every saga. Here and now it's all about the writer A. G. Archer, not about him as a private person or as a man or member of the lgbtq+ community. "

The audience applauded.

A young, pretty woman raised her hand. Lydia nodded encouragingly and she introduced herself as Maia and turned to Magnus with her question.

"Hi, my name is Maia. What was the most fascinating thing about this saga for you?"

Magnus thought for a moment. "That two men as different as Levin and Cahaya have recognized that they have more chances of success together if they allied together and travel to the 'enchanted spring' together than if each were left on their own. "

Magnus leaned forward on the couch, talking enthusiastically. "I mean, we have two men here who, despite their different origins and consequently different upbringings, recognize that they have similar obligations and that a common cause has made them leave their home. On their way, they realize that many of the reservations they had about the other race were nothing more than prejudice."

Alec sat back and looked at Magnus, who went on to explain.

"Let's take Levin. He comes from a race of warriors. He grew up with rigid structures, fixed rules. He was raised by bigoted racists who felt superior to everything. His motive to leave his homeland: to escape an arranged marriage with a woman in order to save the line of succession."

Maia nodded in confirmation. "His parents were even worse than his instructors."

"I totally agree with you, Maia." Magnus glanced at Alec to make sure he saw it the same way and only now noticed that Alec had leaned back, relaxed, and was listening to him.

Alec gestured for him to continue.

Just because he needed to, Magnus averted his gaze and turned his attention to Maia. 

"Cahaya is not subject to such restrictions in the development of his personality. In all other areas of his life, however, it is. He is looking for a way to achieve freedom and independence for his people who are oppressed and exploited." 

"Of the warrior race," added Maia.

"Of Levin's warrior race," confirmed Magnus. "That's why their first meeting was full of tension and mistrust. Just imagine two worlds colliding. Levin, dressed entirely in black leather, with his long fur coat, hood pulled over his forehead."

"I had completely forgotten the fur coat and gloves! Levin later exchanged that for the horse," Maia recalled.

"That was a very clever move," said Magnus. With a smile, Alec tilted his head and shrugged.

Laughing, Magnus continued: "Cahaya comes from a warm area, his clothes are bright, colorful and light. 

He's not used to this cold so far north, the poor man freezes every night. Compared to the rigid warrior caste, his life was very shameless. He had bedded multiple partners, of all genders. Levin sees his prejudices confirmed when Cahaya introduces himself to him in a word that means without a husband and without a wife."

"Warriors only love one partner. Cheating is not only forbidden by law but also frowned upon by society," came the call from the audience.

"Who knows what Cahaya answered?" Magnus turned to the audience. 

"Your people build the continuation of their society on the concept of arranged marriage and do not even allow the possibility of variety and diversion to be found in other partners?"

"Well, that explains a lot," laughing Magnus completed the quote.

A brunette young adult raised his hand. He waited until Lydia asked him to speak. 

"Hey everyone. I'm Simon." He waved his hand up. "What do you think is the essence of this saga?"

Magnus took the time to ponder the question. "You have to take into account that the third book has not yet been published. In my eyes, the saga describes Levaya's peregrination through their personal alterations. And associated with this not only the acceptance of these own changings, but also the creeping acceptance towards other people."

Magnus waited until Simon nodded in agreement.

"The protagonists not only experience many interesting and dangerous adventures on their way, but also encounter racism, oppression and bigottery. In the second book the need to become aware of your own prejudices and to overcome them becomes even clearer. It is a daily struggle, mutual resentment runs deep, has shaped both their ways of thinking, which thereby also influence their actions. Again and again it comes to blows, because it is not easy for both of them to push their prejudices aside for a greater goal."

Magnus shifted on his spot on the couch to face Alec. "Does my interpretation live up to your intention, darling?"

Alec is flabbergasted. He hadn't expected such an accurate analysis of his work from Magnus. Alec slowly shook his head. "What can I say? I think that's pretty much the point."

Magnus leaned in to kiss Alec's cheek. 

With his index finger, Simon pushed his glasses up his nose until they were in the right position. "Can you tell us what your favorite scene from the first book is?"

"Oh, that's easy. I've read this passage several times." Magnus smiled.

"You know that Levin and Cahaya only met at the end of the first book in Dras-Leona, from where they set out on their journey to Eldunarí. They follow the river Vëoht Adurna to the east."

Simon and the audience nodded.

"Levaya stays in Dras-Leona for a month. On the one hand, because they have to earn money there beforehand for their equipment, and on the other hand, they are forced to use the opportunity to get to know each other better. Because they have to share a small room in the hostel, they have no choice. You remember, it's a barren room, just two narrow beds on opposite sides and several sturdy hooks on the wall for hanging clothes and weapons. Not more. My favorite scene was on their very first night."

Magnus winked at Alec and recited from memory.

" _Cahaya hated it here. He hated everything about Dras-Leona, the unfriendly people, the wet and cold weather. He missed the sun, the warmth, his exuberant friends. He did not allow himself to regret leaving home. Because who else would have done it in his place?_

_A proverb of his people came to mind: Therefore one must bring oneself to freedom. This cannot be achieved by anything other than indifference to fate._

_But how could he be indifferent to fate when it so challenged him?_

_A challenge in the form of a muscular giant from the warrior caste who slept less than a meter and a half away from him?_

_Cahaya pulled the flat pillow from under his head and tossed it in the direction of this bellicose man._

_Within a blink of an eye, Levin leaned over Cahaya, his thighs straddling his chest, pinned his arms to the side, leaving Cahaya completely immobile. Levin's gaze was as sharp as the blade of his dagger that Cahaya felt against his throat._

_In this second Cahaya became aware that it was now decided which direction the dynamic of this earmarked community would take. He could submit, duck, as was expected of his people. Or he could start right here and now to stand up for change._

_Another saying helped him decide: Not because it's difficult, we don't dare but because we dare not, it is difficult._

_'Stop snoring!' Challenge was in his tone._ " 

"I don't snore!" the audience answered. 

Alec watched Magnus laugh along with the audience. This gathering with his fans wasn't as bad as he had always feared.

Maybe he should do that again after the third book is published. When Magnus was with him again. If!

When everyone started talking enthusiastically, Lydia stood up and asked for silence. "I think it's time we take a little break. 

Our hard-working helpers have replenished the refreshments. When everyone has served themselves, A. G. Archer will begin the reading. Then anyone who wants to can have their book signed by him."

The girl next to Maia raised her hand. "Can't his boyfriend read his favorite chapter instead?" 

This proposal met with approval from the entire audience. “Gretel! You're awesome,” Maia gushed.

Lydia turned to the couple on the couch. "What do you think of that?"

"I agree. No objections on my part." Alec slid into the corner of the couch and made himself a little more comfortable. 

Magnus turned to Alec: "You want me to?"

Alec nodded.

"You owe me dinner tonight," Magnus retaliated jokingly.

"Of course, I do." Alec replied quietly, but nonetheless seriously, still occupying his hands with one of the throw pillows.

  
  


༺ ∘ ༻

  
  


Magnus took in the sight of Alec, noting his avoidance of eye contact, his fidgeting with the tiny zipper of the pillowcase.

"I'm looking forward to it." 

Magnus could see a smile slowly appearing on Alec's face. Unfortunately, he couldn't see that smile spread to full bloom as he took the book Lydia held out to him and opened it. He turned a few pages until he found the right spot.

He wiggled backwards, snuggled up at Alec's side, nudging him in the side until he wrapped his arm around Magnus' shoulder. 

He cleared his throat briefly and began reading aloud.

_Chapter 3_

_In the eight weeks Levin and Cahaya were traveling together, a certain routine had developed at the end of the day._

_Twilight came early, although it wasn't really dark enough until late at night to get a clear view of the stars._

_Levin took the heavy panniers from Ayla's back. He attached the food bag to her halter and while the mare was eating, he groomed her fur, which was no longer so shaggy, combed her mane and tail and scratched out her hooves._

_When he was done, he removed her halter and patted her round croup once. For Ayla this was the sign that she was freed from her daily duties. He knew Ayla never strayed far from her humans when she ate from the lush grass or went to the river to drink._

_In the meantime, Cahaya looked for firewood and large, flat stones on which to bake his flatbread when they were hot enough. He regularly checked the stocks of grain, roots and berries. He had added nuts to the dough for today's bread that he had collected along the way._

_When Levin returned from the hunt, this time with three partridges, the fire was burning and the stones used to bake the bread had warmed up._

_A small kettle with water settled on a tripod, into which Cahaya threw various roots and herbs. The meat of the third partridge would make a soup that they would eat for breakfast with the rest of the bread. Soaked in the stew, it softened enough to be edible._

_With skillful fingers, Cahaya plucked the poultry, removed the entrails which he partially added to the soup, and put them on a rotisserie to fry._

_During the first night they'd spent in the open together, Cahaya got up, pointed to the rotisserie, "Don't let this burn," and walked to the river._

_As a matter of course he undressed, laid his clothes on one of the large stones and got into the water. He swam a few meters until he found a certain plant on the opposite bank. He broke off one of the thin branches and swam back to the bank on this side. Levin watched as Cahaya rubbed the broken end of the branch over a stone. He used it to wash his body and hair with the resulting foam._

_Without any shame, Cahaya stepped naked from the water, grabbed a piece of cloth with which he dried himself and rubbed his hair._

_Levin couldn't help but take this opportunity to look at this man. It was the first time that he saw a man other than himself naked._

_A warm feeling spread in his stomach. It was nothing new to him that he was attracted to men, for this was precisely the reason why he was here now and not married to Lady Aeryn in his homeland Moya._

_Levin liked what he saw. But he couldn't place what he was feeling at the moment. Did he find Cahaya attractive? He could only answer this question with yes. And immediately he heard the voices growing louder in his head, which as always questioned everything. Voices that described Cahaya as "savage", as inferior, as drive controlled and shameless._

_Voices that condemned his inclination as unnatural, as useless preference that did not serve the continued existence of his people._

_Voices that insisted that he was only drawn to Cahaya because he was there, because there was no one else, he had no choice._

_The following nights the voices were always there when Cahaya bathed in the river. Sometimes louder, sometimes quieter. The reasoning always remained the same, even if the words varied._

_If one or the other time the dinner was a bit burnt, Levin justified it with the fact that he was a brave warrior and not a cook._

_Cahaya couldn't believe Levin didn't know how to swim. "I'll teach you. Come into the water with me."_

_Levin would never allow that, because that would mean that he would have to go into the water at the same time as Cahaya. Never gonna happen. He needed the distance to his companion when he was frolicking in the water unclothed._

_Levin came from a cold area, not only in terms of the weather and the environment, the people were not open and warm-hearted either. Warm water was reserved for boiling. Bathing in hot water was a luxury that Levin was only allowed to experience once in his life after he was submerged in the ice water of the lake in winter after he had fallen through the supposedly stable ice cover._

_It had taken Levin a few weeks to dare to step into the river. Not only because he couldn't swim, but also because he was embarrassed about undressing in front of Cahaya._

_Since childhood Levin was used to washing himself quickly but thoroughly with cold water. He was never naked. When he had washed his face and upper body, he immediately put on a warm shirt before getting out of his pants, devoting himself to cleaning his lower regions._

_Even in summer it was cold in the early morning in the chambers of the castle. The only difference in the seasons was that in summer there was no layer of ice in the basin, which Levin first had to chop up with the handle of his dagger._

_They spent the rest of the evenings telling each other about their lives and their homeland. Cahaya had shown a lot of patience and sensitivity to tease out a few stories about his siblings from Levin._

_Cahaya didn't think Levin wasn't revealing much about himself because he didn't trust him. Levin was quite simply a silent man. Partly an enigmatic man._

_Levin was so different from all the people Cahaya was used to in his homeland, where they had nothing, but they shared what they had. He came from open-minded, friendly people. Cahaya didn't know anyone who was so withdrawn and sometimes stubborn as this warrior._

_But Cahaya had found a way to deal with it. On one day in the first month, they marched further than they normally would have because they couldn't find a suitable place to stay for the night. So the late afternoon turned into early evening before they set up their camp._

_Levin was a little worried about Ayla, whose legs felt too warm for his taste. He took her to the bank, dug up cooling mud and smeared it on the horse's legs. By the time Levin finished looking after the horse, it was too late to go hunting._

_As always, Cahaya had lit a fire and placed the dough for several flatbreads on the stones before jumping into the river._

_Cahaya had noticed Levin's shy glances that had wandered over his body since the first evening, and was aware of those beautiful hazel eyes studying his naked form._

_He was not uncomfortable, knowing that the warrior was not used to showing his body so openly. For Cahaya, nudity and sex were natural. If he had traveled with someone from his people and not someone from the warrior caste, they would have become intimate with each other at the hostel._

_Cahaya did not intend to let Levin's prudish upbringing stop him from taking his bath every night. His modesty wasn't Cahaya's problem. But Levin tried none of the same. Cahaya was aware that Levin was often pushed to his limits, trying on many occasions to break the fetters of his education._

_Cahaya gave Levin a lot of leeway, but was not ready for compromises if Levin showed no willingness to make concessions and at least to try a different path than the usual one._

_It was only after a heated discussion on the first evening, that Cahaya agreed to prepare meals for both of them._

_Levin led Ayla back to the fire and let her graze nearby. He would brush off the mud when it dried. With a frown, he watched as Cahaya deftly caught four large fish with his hands, broke their necks and threw them onto the bank. He got out of the water, dried off, and dressed for Levin's sake. He plucked several broad leaves of reeds and carried the fish to the fireplace._

_He had stuck his fingers in the fish's mouths to carry them. Levin had to admire the ease with which he did this, the fish were as long as Cahaya's thigh and as thick as his forearm._

_With a knife he cut open the belly of the fish, removed the entrails and severed the head and caudal fin. He smeared the insides of the hollow belly with herbs and wrapped the fish in the large reed leaves that he placed on the edge of the fire. He buried the fish's innards in the hole Levin had dug on the bank._

_Levin gestured to the fish when Cahaya returned to him. "I won't eat that."_

_Cahaya took this opportunity straight away to expel Levin's 'what the warrior does not know, he does not eat' attitude._

_"Either you eat the fish or you go hungry." He shrugged his shoulders. "Your decision, choose it."_

_Levin crossed his arms over his broad chest. "I can always hunt a hare."_

_"And who will take out the carcass for you? Who will skin it? You?" Cahaya eyed the warrior with a raised eyebrow. "I want to see that!"_

_Levin ate the fish._

_"Did you like it?" Cahaya poured tea into two mugs and placed them on the warm stones._

_Levin licked all ten fingers. "No."_

_Levin later explained why he didn't want to eat the fish. He started to talk casually while he was carving one of his figures, this time a bird of prey._

_Cahaya was again impressed by Levin's art, by the attention to detail of the plumage. He himself was weaving a small wicker basket. Everything would be sold or exchanged in the next village for horse feed, spices and other things that they could not produce or collect themselves._

_Levin knew fish, of course, but he had never eaten it. For the sole reason that fish was only for the working people. It was cheap food and easily available. He had been brought up to believe that noble warriors ate meat, not fish._

_Cahaya listened to him, smiling to himself. Levin really tried. He had come a long way and there was still so much ahead of him._

_The next morning Levin attached the carrying frame to Ayla. He tickled her under the belly so she would let out the breath she was holding. If she inflated her stomach, he couldn't pull the strap through the buckle._

_"Girl, you've gotten fat. That's all the grass you eat every night."_

_Levin tickled her stomach again when he felt movement._

_"Frell!" Levin swore loudly._

_Cahaya was at his side immediately. "What is going on? What happened?"_

_Instead of answering, Levin took Cahaya's hand and ran it down along Ayla's stomach._

_With bright eyes and a radiant smile, Cahaya looked at Levin, who was looking down at him with a frown. "Ayla is pregnant," Cahaya whispered._

_"Levin, we're going to be grandparents." Cahaya snorted with laughter as Levin pulled his hand away and turned with a murmur. He just couldn't resist teasing the stoic warrior._

_But when Levin began to pack the carrying frame, Cahaya stopped him with a resolute gesture. "We carry our stuff ourselves. She is pregnant."_

_Levin looked at his exotic companion. In a calm voice he said: "She is a horse. She can work despite pregnancy. Even until shortly before birth."_

_Cahaya took the heavy sack of grain from Levin. "I won't allow that. We'll split the load between us. She can carry our blankets and cookware. Nothing more!"_

_Levin took the sack with the grain from Cahaya's hand, shouldered a few of the other things that Ayla usually had in her panniers, clearly intended to carry the load alone._

_"I assume you have no idea how many weeks horses carry. We can only hope to be in a village when the time of birth approaches."_

_Cahaya reached out to take some of the load off Levin, but Levin spined out of reach. "I won't let you carry anything," he said with a dangerous twinkle in his eyes._

_Unimpressed, Cahaya pulled the strap that Levin had slung over his shoulder. "I'm a man."_

_"I'm well aware of this."_

_"Then don't treat me like a woman." Cahaya got angry. "Just because I'm the one cooking doesn't mean I'm helpless and weak. It just means we don't have to starve."_

_With a reluctant growl, Levin released some of the burden that Cahaya was wrapping in his sling. This cloth served so many purposes. Among other things, it served him as an additional blanket at night, because Cahaya was used to much warmer temperatures in his homeland. If he swathed it loosely around himself, he could use it as a piece of clothing. Depending on how he folded this sling and the various ways in which it was wrapped around his body, a lot could fit into it that he could carry with ease._

_"That will add an uncertain amount of time to our journey," warned Levin._

_"Then that's the way it is," Cahaya replied calmly._

_"Cahaya, it will be weeks before the birth. We cannot keep up the current pace if we carry the loads ourselves. Ayla will suckle her foal for almost a year before we can wean and sell it. During this time we are stuck somewhere."_

_"Sell it?" Cahaya froze. "You want to sell Ayla's baby?"_

_Cahaya took a step back. "I know you are many things, but I never thought you were heartless. Until now." Cahaya snatched the rope attached to Ayla's holster and left Levin standing._

_"Cahaya…"_

_Cahaya only raised a hand to ward off and continued on his way._

A foal on the road. By the Angel!

_Sighing, Levin followed at a suitable distance._

_About noon Levin noticed that they were being followed. He let himself fall back a little further to increase the distance to Cahaya._

_But it was not another raider who was after them, but a wolf. A young wolf based on first impressions. Levin watched him a little more closely and noticed a limp on his front paw._

_Levin continued on his way, turning again and again towards the wolf that slowly followed them. It was two hours before dusk when the gap between Levin and the wounded wolf grew too big. When Levin turned, the wolf sat on his haunches._

_Although it was too early to set up camp for the night, Levin asked Cahaya to take a break._

_"I don't need a break. Does the great warrior need one?" Apparently Cahaya was still in a morose mood._

_"No. But we have company." Levin pointed behind him. The wolf was still sitting motionless in the middle of the path, watching and waiting._

_"A wolf?" Cahaya looked from the animal to Levin. "How long has he been following us?"_

_"A while."_

_Cahaya tilted his head, waiting._

_"It's hurt."_

_"And you didn't think it necessary to say anything?" Cahaya pressed Ayla's rope into Levin's hand and wanted to approach the wolf._

_"Exactly for this reason!" Levin held Cahaya by the upper arm. "If you had tried to move toward it earlier, it would have run away and not come back."_

_Carefully he let the loads slide onto the ground. "Now it has had enough time to watch us. It will come to us when it is ready."_

_With a cheeky grin that neither of them knew he was capable of, he slapped Cahaya on the bum. "Go make a fire, man!"_

_Speechless, Cahaya watched him go as he went down to the river with Ayla._

_In this part of the country, dawn came early and suddenly, but it was a long time before it got really dark._

_The wolf used the shadows to gradually sneak up on them. Levin and Cahaya paid no more attention to him, making him feel unobserved._

_Ayla, however, did not stick to the plan. She put her ears back and bared her teeth when she smelled the wolf, but she let herself be soothed by Levin's mumbled words._

_Cahaya tossed the heads of the rabbits to the wolf that they had eaten for dinner. The wolf lay down and ate, not taking its eyes off the people and the horse._

_"Do you see that? There's blood on the foreleg," noted Levin._

_Cahaya nodded and rummaged in the small basket in which he kept his personal belongings. He still had some of the ointment he had used to treat Levin's eyebrow wound after the raider attacked them._

_Cahaya had been impressed with the fight, the speed, the agility with which Levin had moved, the skill with which he wielded his swords._

_The opponent could only hit him in the eye because Ayla had intervened in the fight. The raider fighters had got too close to her, so she hunched over, stood onto her front legs, and kicked her back legs sharply._

_It hit the opponent in the back, who then staggered directly towards Levin, who only had to move his sword upwards to kill him._

_Cahaya had not saved the rabbits' innards for the soup, but chopped them up and fried them on one of the hot stones. With this they lured the wolf closer and closer to them._

_Soon it was possible for Cahaya to clean the wound and spread healing ointment on it. To distract him, Levin fed him chunks of meat, plucking loose, matted strands from the fur._

_"We call him Jondalar." It was a statement, not a suggestion. This was not one of Cahaya's compromises._

_Levin just looked at Cahaya. He didn't say a word. At some point he got up, took the dishes to clean them in the river._

_The next morning the four of them continued their journey._

Magnus paused for a moment before slowly closing the book. With a sigh he looked into the audience. "If I hadn't been in love with Levaya long ago, it would be the case now."

He turned his head and looked at Alec. "Thank you for writing. Thank you for once again creating two characters that I can feel connected to."

Magnus craned his neck a little to peck Alec's cheek.

"What do you like best about Levaya?" Simon tuned in.

"Their dynamic is always changing, their relationship never stagnates. It's a wonderful thing to read because you never know what will happen next, which of the two will go out of their way for the other."

Magnus put the book on the small table and leaned back against Alec's side. He grabbed Alec's hand that was on his shoulder and crossed their fingers.

༺ ∘ ༻

  
  


"I'm a bit disappointed."

Alec felt Magnus squeeze his hand when Victor Aldertree interrupted. Whether he was doing this for Alec, to help calm him down, or to ground himself, Alec couldn't tell.

"I thought you'd read us the hot stuff in this book."

Barely hiding his annoyance, Magnus glanced at Victor unwillingly. "Hot stuff?"

"Well, you know. That's a lgbt book. There's a lot going on between the guys." He made an obscene gesture with his hand.

Only Magnus' hand, which was squeezing his thigh in warning, held Alec back. He took the hint and left it to Magnus to respond accordingly.

"Weren't you listening? The protagonists Levin and Cahaya don't meet for the first time until the end of the first part of the saga."

Magnus holds the book up. "Don't you think that 17,000 pages divided into two books is a bit too much for pure pwp?" He raised an eyebrow and placed the book back on the table.

"Dear audience, ladies and gentlemen, in this example" Magnus pointed to Victor Aldertree "you can clearly see how important it is to encourage and support good" He looked at Alec "no, brilliant lgbtq+ writers. In the minds of some, hmmm, let me express it careful to avoid the word bigot," Magnus waited until the laughter from the audience died down "prejudice-laden people are still of the opinion that two queer men do nothing all day long other than pursue their physical desires and indulge in lust."

Magnus stroked the cover of the book. "Unfortunately I have to disappoint you. Even we have jobs to do, families to take care of. And if it pains me to admit it, even my stamina is not sufficient enough to do so."

Alec couldn't help but laugh along with his fans. Despite his nervousness and tension, he hugged Magnus and placed a kiss on his temple. "Thank you," he whispered in Magnus' ear.

Undeterred, Magnus continued, "I hope you actually read the book. I imagine you can learn a lot from Levin."

Magnus gazed at Alec, stroking his hand with his thumb. "Thank me later," Magnus replied.

Alec felt his cheeks warm, afraid he would blush. Magnus' smile confirmed his suspicions, as he brushed his cheek with his knuckles.

In order to forestall Victor's perturbing questions and remarks, Lydia put herself in front of the, albeit fake, couple to grant them a moment.

"We now come to the signing of the books. It follows the row of seats. Once you have your signed book, please go out into the anteroom to wait for friends there or leave the building."

Magnus wriggled out of Alec's arm. "That is my hint to go back to my seat." He kissed Alec's cheek before getting up. "See you later?!"

Alec didn't let go of Magnus' hand, not yet. He caught Magnus' gaze as he slowly nodded. Magnus smiled and turned around, their hands only letting go of each other when necessary. 

Magnus sat back in the seat he had occupied at the beginning, before Alec introduced him as his boyfriend.

Lydia caught his attention. She raised her eyebrow questiongly. Alec looked again at Magnus, then at Lydia, and nodded.

"We have a little surprise for you," Lydia said to the people in the room. "A. G. Archer has agreed to have a photo taken with each of his fans." She emphasized this word again to explicitly exclude Victor from it.

Alec smiled modestly as cheers of joy rang out.

"So, anyone who wants, whether they have a book to sign or not, can take a selfie with A. G. Archer."

Lydia led the fans one by one to the couch, where they could sit next to Alec. After they had exchanged a few words and Alec signed the book, the fan was able to take a picture with their own cell phone.

Lydia made sure that the process ran smoothly, that the fans didn't get into too much gossip or linger too long.

When it was Maia's turn, she waved Magnus over for a selfie. But Magnus shook his head and raised a hand in defense.

When all the guests were gone, Alec sank back into the pillows with a long sigh. He was tired and exhausted, but happy and content with his very first M&G. 

He opened his eyes when Magnus sat down next to him. He raised his arm invitingly as Magnus leaned against him, the camera app on his phone already ready to go. "Now I want a selfie with you."

"You can take as many selfies with me as you want." 

"You shouldn't say that, I'll take you at your word." Magnus winked at him.

"Wait a moment." Alec pushed Magnus aside a little to pull his own cell phone out of his pocket. "I want a selfie of us as well."

"I could just send you one of mine via WhatsApp." Magnus held up his cell phone with a mischievous smile.

"You could." Alec, of course, registered what Magnus was up to and gave him his cell phone to create a new contact, with Alec's favorite selfie as the contact icon.

Magnus glanced around the empty room that a few employees at the publishing house were cleaning up.

"Unfortunately I don't have any of your books with me that you could sign. I knew there would be an A. G. Archer M&G, but all tickets were sold out before I could get hold of one." 

"Hey," Alec put his finger under Magnus' chin and turned his head in his direction. "I'm your boyfriend, remember? I'll sign all the books you have."

"I like the sound of that." And to get any misunderstanding out of the way from the start: "Of both." Magnus' gaze flickered from Alec's eyes to his mouth and reluctantly back up to his eyes. "Very much so," he whispered.

Gently but firmly, he pulled one of the throw pillows from Alec's grip. 

"Magnus..." Alec leaned in to close the few inches that separated them. 

A loud clang and a shouted "Sorry!" made them part before their lips could meet. 

"I think ..." began Magnus. 

"... we're going somewhere else," completed Alec. 

"Dinner?" Magnus tilted his head in question. 

"Starving!" 

Magnus accompanied him to the hotel the publisher had booked for him. As they passed "their" coffee shop, Alec took Magnus' hand.

They looked at each other, the same goofy grin spotting on both their faces.

Without saying much about it, they agreed that this dinner was not a date. Their first, real date was still ahead of them, which both of them were very much looking forward to. Because it meant that they would meet again.

They weren't ready to call themselves boyfriends, at least not for real, but they weren't ready to part either. Alec extended his hotel room booking and stayed the whole weekend. He didn't go home until Monday morning when Magnus had an appointment that he couldn't postpone.

They spent Saturday walking, sightseeing, talking to each other, and laughing together. 

That evening they went on their first date. Magnus picked Alec up at the hotel. Since he lived in New York, Alec gave him the choice of restaurant.

For Sunday morning, Magnus invited Alec to an extensive breakfast in his loft. 

Alec liked the way Magnus lived. His home was tastefully decorated. The view from his balcony was breathtaking, as was the man himself.

Magnus didn't mind having breakfast on the balcony when Alec asked him to. They sat down next to each other on the wrought-iron bench, which was made comfortable by thick, colorful seat cushions.

They continued their conversation from the previous evening, got to know each other better. Alec talked about his parents, his siblings.

Magnus was the source of a lot of anecdotes. He had no biological family, but he and his friends were as close as if they had grown up together.

After they had finished eating, they sat on the balcony for a while.

"I know I already said it the day before yesterday. Thank you again for your support."

"And also yesterday," added Magnus with a wink.

Alec laughed softly. "It just shows how grateful I am to you. I think I wouldn't have survived the Q&A without you. That reporter was awful."

Magnus nodded. "His questions were really inappropriate for a reading. Lydia was right, once you said you had a boyfriend, he had no more arguments."

Alec took Magnus' hand. "Magnus, not only having you with me as my fake boyfriend helped me. Your mere presence calmed me down a lot."

Magnus had serious heart eyes at Alec's words.

"That, and the tea you recommended to me." Alec grinned before Magnus slapped his arm.

Laughing, he put an arm around Magnus' shoulders and pulled him close. "I promised to sign your books. Only if you want to, of course."

"Of course I do!"

Alec brushed Magnus' arm. "Then let's do it now."

Magnus got up and put the dishes and the leftovers from breakfast on a tray. Alec took everything else Magnus couldn't carry and followed him into the kitchen. He insisted on helping Magnus wash up. He didn't accept the objection that this was not necessary and that he was a guest here.

When the groceries were in the refrigerator and the dishes back in the cupboard, Magnus led Alec into a room with several bookshelves and a comfortable couch. There was a small side table next to the couch, on which Magnus put his coffee or tea while reading. 

Alec immediately noticed the covers of his books, which had a very nice place on Magnus' bookcase.

Curiously, he walked along the shelves and read the titles of the other books. Magnus had a wide range of tastes. He found thrillers, crime novels, biographies with a historical background and even more fantasy books.

With a little bit of satisfaction, Alec couldn't find a single book by Melissa Miles.

He looked at the photos that were nicely framed on the shelves. Most of them featured Magnus, sometimes alone, sometimes in company, which Alec assumed were his friends.

Magnus took the reading lamp from the small side table and placed it in front of the couch. He took a ballpoint pen from a ceramic mug on one of the shelves and took the three books of the first saga from the shelf and put them on the side table.

Alec sat down with him and asked Magnus what he liked best about this saga. He listened to him seriously before opening the books.

Instead of simply signing the first page with 'To Magnus from A. G. Archer', he wrote several lines referring to what Magnus had previously told him about the plot. He did the same with the other books.

In the second book of the Levaya saga he wrote 'Thank you for being my boyfriend, Alec'. He didn't make a point over the i from boyfriend, instead he drew a small heart.

Magnus read the dedication, closed the book and briefly but firmly pressed it to his chest. "I just have to suppress the impulse to go into full fangirl mode." Magnus ran his fingers over the cover.

"If someone had told me that I would meet A. G. Archer one day, welcome him to my place, and also be his boyfriend for a public appearance, I would have declared them crazy." 

Magnus put the books back in their usual place on the shelf. "How can I thank you for that?"

"With a kiss?" His mischievous smile was so adorable.

Magnus took the pen from Alec's hand and placed it on the coffee table. He sat on Alec's lap, put one arm around his neck and the other on his shoulder. His thumb caressed Alec's neck.

As if by themselves, Alec's arms wound their way around Magnus' body, one hand rested on his hip, the other on his side drawing random patterns with his thumb. 

Their first kiss was nothing more than a gentle touch of lips at first. They looked at each other and found in each other's eyes the desire or longing for more before their eyes closed and their lips met again. 

Magnus buried his hand in Alec's hair when his tongue asked for admission.

When the need to breathe was forcing them to cease, they would change the angle of their heads so as not to have to desist kissing. 

But at some point it was Alec's smile that made them interrupt their smoothing.

Magnus looked at him questioningly, but returned his smile. "What is it, darling?"

"I still can't quite believe it, that's all."

Magnus stroked Alec's arm and shoulder, waiting.

"When Lydia first asked me if I was going to do this M&G, I categorically refused. Now I'm glad she was so persistent. I would have never met you otherwise." Alec clasped his hands on Magnus' waist.

"I'm glad about that too. Think how many coincidences have played out. Even if I had got a ticket for the M&G, I would never have asked you out. I probably wouldn't even have taken a selfie with you."

Alec cocked his head. "I wouldn't have thought you were shy."

"Oh, I'm not either, by all means. That's why I spoke to you in the café and made this suggestion to you later. You, as Alec." Magnus tapped his index finger against Alec's chest. "I had been watching you for a while and I thought it was so adorable how nervous you were in the queue in front of me." 

Alec laughs softly, looking down. "Yeah, I was pretty nervous. I had no idea what to expect."

Magnus suddenly became serious. He put a hand on Alec's cheek and waited for Alec to look at him. "Please don't think that I just wanted to get to know you better because you're A. G. Archer, the writer I really admire. I want to spend time with you, with you as Alec."

"Magnus, don't worry. You asked me out on a date in Lydia's office. That was before you knew who I was."

"But I'm still allowed to fangirl about you?" Magnus asked with a mischievous wink.

"Of course you can. As long as you keep kissing me." Alec tensed the thigh muscle of the leg on which Magnus was sitting several times, making him bounce a little.

Magnus got the hint. Tender pecks became a play of giving and taking with soft tongues. 

They spent the afternoon kissing, cuddling, talking, eating and drinking. It was past 11 p.m. when Alec went back to his hotel.

On Monday morning, a text message from Magnus woke Alec. He just wanted to quickly wish him a good morning and a safe drive home before leaving the loft to go to his appointment.

Alec didn't know the last time someone had done something he found as endearing as Magnus' message. He read it several times, still tucked into that thin hotel duvet, before leaving the bed and getting ready.

On his way back he was a lot more relaxed than on the way to New York. But actually he hadn't expected anything else. On the one hand, he was now driving home, on the other hand, the thought of Magnus gave him peace of mind.

When he got home he wrote a text message to Magnus, brought his holdall into the bedroom, where he threw the clothes into the laundry basket.

He made himself a cup of coffee and sat at his computer, typing for four hours straight, until his rumbling stomach reminded him that a break was necessary. He was more inspired than he had been in a long time. Thanks to Magnus!

It was three more weekends before Magnus came to see him in New Hampshire. In the meantime, they texted or spoke on the phone almost every day. They kept this three-week rhythm for a while, later they shortened it to every other weekend.

Magnus left New York on Friday afternoon and didn't come back until late on Sunday evening. Alec had set up a cozy guest room for Magnus in his house by the lake.

They tried to spend as much time together as possible on these weekends. They went for walks in the woods or swam in the lake. They talked a lot and cooked together. In the evenings Alec lit the fireplace and they snuggled on the sofa while some random movie was on. Every night, Alec would take Magnus to his room, kissing him goodbye with a "sleep well!". 

Another thing they had in common was that they both enjoyed board games or card games. Alec had plenty to choose from, so they spent a few afternoons on the terrace in friendly competition.

But Alec's Muse had a strange sense of timing. When Alec wrote, Magnus cooked dinner or sat on the terrace overlooking the lake, which was surrounded by the forest, working on his laptop. In between he brought Alec a cup of coffee and a few cookies into the study and asked how he was getting on with the saga.

Alec took the cup and plate from Magnus' hand and placed them on the desk before pulling his boyfriend onto his lap. 

"I'm making good progress. But I've written enough for today." Alec's arms circled Magnus' middle. "Come on, let's go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Winter will be here soon enough."

"That sounds very good." Magnus pecked Alec's lips. "What do you have in mind?" 

Alec shrugged. "The lake should still be warm enough for swimming. Do you want to?"

"Do I want to see this stunning body dressed only in swimming trunks?" Thoughtfully, Magnus put a finger to his chin. He hooked the same finger behind the neckline of Alec's shirt that left undone the first three buttons. He pulled a little and pretended to examine Alec's chest. With a dreamy sigh he uttered: "Alexander, you have a gift for asking questions..."

With a big grin, Alec patted Magnus' thigh. "Then let's go swimming."

After one last firm peck, Magnus got up and pulled Alec to his feet who grabbed his coffee mug and followed Magnus upstairs. 

In front of Magnus' door, Alec leaned down to kiss Magnus. "See you soon."

Magnus was waiting when Alec came out of his bedroom. As always, he brought the towels with him. 

Hand in hand they went down to the lake. On the long jetty that led into the water, they took off their sneakers and clothes and laid them on the floor with the towels.

Alec took a run and jumped into the water, making it splatter. He shook his wet hair off his face, swam a little further into the lake, turned around and waited for Magnus, who walked a little slower along the footbridge. 

Alec took the opportunity to look at him. Like every time the thought occurred to him: _Boy! That man was built!_

Magnus stood on the edge of the jetty and jumped into the water with an elegant plunge. He swam over to Alec, complaining about the water temperature.

"Come here, you little fennec." Alec laughed and wrapped his arms around him. "What did you expect? It's already mid-September. The lake is too deep to be warmed up by the sun to a comfortable bubble bath temperature like in summer."

"I expected it to be warmer when you jump into the lake with such ease." Magnus was still shivering.

"I'm used to the cold of the lake. I'm not as sensitive as you are." Alec brushed a wet strand from his forehead.

"Alexander, your nipples tell a completely different story." Pressed so close to Alec he could clearly feel the hard knobs.

"Babe, it's not the cold lake that's causing this, it's you." Alec slipped his hand into Magnus' nape and pulled him in for a kiss.

The kiss did not last long, as both of them moved their legs in the water to avoid drowning, but heat rose in Magnus' body.

"Let's swim a little, then you'll be warmer." Alec let go of Magnus and waited for his nod before swimming out into the lake. 

Magnus stayed by his side, it wasn't a swimming competition. They lingered in the water for about an hour, swimming, splashing around like children, before Magnus announced he'd had enough. 

With his strong arms, Alec lifted himself up on the pier, sat on the edge and got up, although a ladder was attached to the side that Magnus used to get out of the water.

Alec was waiting for him, holding up a towel. He wrapped Magnus in it and rubbed him dry as best he could.

"Thank you darling." Magnus couldn't put his arms around Alec because he stood like a burrito in his arms. But he could lift his chin, his mouth slightly open.

Alec tilted his head with a tender smile. One peck became two or three. Alec tightened his grip on Magnus, his tongue teasing Magnus' upper lip until he lifted his head and Alec could deepen the kiss. 

Magnus leaned against Alec. He tugged at the inside of the towel with his fingertips until Alec dropped it, freeing Magnus' arms, which he wrapped around Alec's waist.

Their kiss became more heated after each break to breath. As Alec's knees buckled, Magnus grabbed hold of him and let himself slide slowly onto the hard floor of the jetty. He pulled Alec towards him, soaking up his kisses, his caresses and his warmth.

When he felt Alec getting hard, Magnus put a leg over his buttock and pushed his foot between Alec's thighs, pinning him against himself. 

Until now, they hadn't gone beyond heavy make outs, and hadn't taken the next step yet. They had known each other for several months now, but since they only saw each other on the weekend, which was actually only twice a month, the time wasn't as long as it sounded.

Alec was such an excellent kisser, the friction on their hard ons was just right. At some point Magnus turned them over so that he was on top of Alec, who responded to the maneuver with a deep moan. 

Alec spread his thighs so Magnus could settle between his legs.His hands roamed over Magnus' body, feeling his soft skin like velvet under his fingertips.

Eventually, he noticed that Magnus was getting goosebumps from the cold. His concern for his boyfriend won over his lust and arousal and he broke the kiss. "Magnus, let's go inside and warm up. I don't want you to catch a cold." 

Magnus sighed regretfully. "You're right. Besides, the hard floor isn't particularly comfortable for you."

They quickly put on their clothes and went back to the house.

"Have a nice bath so you can get really warm again," suggested Alec as they climbed the stairs to the bedrooms. "I'll have a quick shower and when you come down, I'll have dinner ready. What do you think of that?"

"That sounds pretty tempting, but don't you need my help with cooking?" Magnus enjoyed the time they spent in the kitchen together. 

"No," Alec reassured. "Enjoying the warm bath, take your time, okay?"

"Okay!" 

They parted with a kiss. Magnus went into the master bathroom, which had the only bathtub, and Alec headed to his bedroom to take a shower in his ensuite bathroom.

When Magnus came down to the kitchen, Alec had just finished dinner. "You're coming in just in time. There's grilled salmon and a salad."

Magnus pecked Alec's cheek before he fetched the dishes and cutlery and set the table. He lit the candles and opened a bottle of white wine. Since both only drank one glass with their meal, they took the bottle with them into the living room.

They only played two rounds of a card game before Magnus tried to hide a yawn. The swimming in the lake, the warm bath and the wine had made him a little tired ahead of time.

They agreed to call it an early night and headed upstairs. Like every evening, Alec accompanied Magnus to his room. He usually kissed him goodbye, but that evening he pulled him past the door into his bedroom.

  
  


༺ ∘ ༻

  
  


After that weekend, it quickly became autumn, which meant Thanksgiving weekend was approaching. 

They'd been wondering for a few days whether to spend the long weekend at Alec's or Magnus'. A phone call from Lydia on Monday made the decision for them.

On Wednesday morning Magnus had an appointment that was estimated to last until noon. They'd agreed for Alec to leave late in the morning. First he would pay the publisher a visit and then come to Magnus' loft. Magnus should be back from work by then.

On Thursday morning they lay in bed for a long time, cuddling, talking, some more kissing leading to lazy morning sex. They had a long weekend ahead of them and, among other things, they were grateful for it. 

Magnus had bought a large turkey. Although only the two of them would be spending Thanksgiving together, the next day they were expecting Magnus' friends and Alec's siblings for a leftover meal. Magnus filled the bird while Alec took care of the side dishes. 

Dinner was delicious. Magnus had set the table with his best dishes, the wine in the crystal glasses threw wonderful reflections onto the white tablecloth.

Even if they only celebrated this holiday as a couple, the mood and the atmosphere was festive. Tomorrow it would be a bit more hectic and a lot more exuberant and turbulent, with so many people sitting at the table together, talking at one another at the same time, laughing together.

They were both looking forward to it, but just as much enjoyed solely being in each other's company. 

Over dessert and coffee they both shared what they were grateful for this year. As a surprise, Magnus told about the offer Lydia had made him to read Alec's books, since audible had expressed an interest in adapting them as audio books. 

Alec was speechless. He had no idea about it, since Magnus had made Lydia promise not to tell him anything. He was visibly touched and proud. Not only because of the possibility that his works were produced as audio books, but that of all things the wonderful voice of his boyfriend would breathe life into his characters.

Magnus got up and walked over to Alec. He knelt beside him and took his hands.

"What do you think of that? If you don't want me to, I'll decline the offer."

Alec shook his head.

"You agree?"

Alec nodded.

He took a deep breath, got up and pulled Magnus into his arms. He needed Magnus' embrace, what never failed to soothe his nerves. 

After a moment, Alec cupped Magnus' face. "Thank you!"

Magnus just smiled, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend. 

"Let's clear the table and wash the dishes. I'd like to show you something as well." After another peck, Alec dropped his hands.

"What is it?" Magnus asked curiously as he piled the dirty plates on top of each other and followed Alec into the kitchen.

"You'll see in a moment," Alec replied mysteriously.

The two of them washed the dishes quickly. While Alec was packing the dishes back into the cupboards, Magnus stowed the leftovers in the fridge.

"Go ahead into the living room and make yourself comfortable on the couch. I'll be right after you."

Magnus watched after Alec, who disappeared into his study. He took two clean glasses and the open bottle of wine and went into the living room. 

He had just put the fleece blanket over his legs when Alec entered the living room with a large envelope. Magnus lifted a corner of the blanket and Alec sat next to him. With a small smile he stroked the envelope before handing it to Magnus.

Magnus felt the object inside the envelope. When he realized it was a book, he excitedly opened the envelope.

"Is this what I think it is?" 

He carefully took out the first test print of the third volume of the Levaya Saga and opened it to a random page. He turned a few pages before looking at Alec. "May I read it?"

In response, Alec slid a little more into the corner on the couch and opened his arms. Magnus snuggled up against him, spreading the blanket over their outstretched legs, tucking them both in.

So they spent the evening reading. The following day Magnus had no time to continue the book, too busy preparing lunch and to host the gathering of their friends and family.

When all the guests had left late in the evening and the loft had been restored back into a presentable condition, he was too tired and frankly too tipsy to read.

Alec didn't mind Magnus using the rest of the weekend to finish reading his book.

_The river that Levin and Cahaya had been following eastwards for a few weeks continued to pave its way continuously towards the southeast._

_Much to Cahaya's delight, at least the days were getting warmer. He was still cold at night and used his sling as an extra blanket. He really couldn't understand, with the best will in the world, how Levin managed to go into the cold river in the morning to wash himself. This couldn't be called taking a bath, for Levin never went deeper into the water than just above his waist._

_Levin has found confidence not only to get into the water at all, but also to undress in front of Cahaya, albeit in the distance and always so that he was standing behind a rock or something similar so that Cahaya couldn't see much. Shamefulness was cultivated, you don't grow out of it so quickly._

_But what Cahaya caught a glimpse of was mouthwatering. Levin's chest was covered with small, black curls. Cahaya was dying to comb his fingers through it. No one of his people in Chulak sported as much body hair as Levin. Given that he was from the cold north, it made sense._

_On one of those occasions, Cahaya discovered that Levin's body was covered with strange black markings in various places of his body. He would have liked to ask him more about it, but then he would have had to admit that he had seen him naked. Cahaya wanted to spare the man this embarrassment._

_Levin still refused to learn how to swim. "Only when you can ride Ayla," was his standard answer, knowing that Cahaya would never do that either. He wasn't afraid of horses, not necessarily. He would call it respect. Or common sense, after all, Alya was bigger than him._

_He loved the mare, he liked it when she buried her nose in his neck and gently blew it into his neck or rubbed her muzzle against his ear._

_But he had also seen what her hooves could do and made sure to only approach her from the front, never from behind. Levin had no problems with that, the mare always remained calm and pious with him. Cahaya had noticed that Levin always spoke to Ayla when he was grooming her. With one hand, he always touched the horse either on the neck or on the back. When he circled the horse, his hand was on her croup._

_The shaggy, gray workhorse has become a beautiful[gray](https://pin.it/Z2H5E6N) _ _mare under Levin's care and attention. In the sunlight, she even spotted a few apples on her cheeks._ _The previous owner had the mane cut short. Now it fell in gentle waves to the middle of Ayla's neck. The tail had grown too, but Levin made sure that it never extended beyond her hocks._

_Levin took the harness from Ayla. After Thonolan's birth, Cahaya insisted that the mare and foal should rest for a few weeks before they set off again._

_Ayla no longer carried the full load of their supplies as she had in the beginning, a few things were still shared between Levin and Cahaya._

_As always, Levin attached a food bag to her holster. Putting on a halter for Thonolan always required skill and patience. The colt loved his freedom, even if he never strayed far from his mother._

_However, there will be situations in the future when it would be necessary for the foal to wear a halter. When they reached the next village and Thonolan was confronted with strange smells, people and other animals, it was important that he was used to wearing a halter and kept calm._

_Levin tied the rope attached to Thonolan's halter to a tree near where he was grooming Ayla. This way the foal was out of the way of his work and would later stand still when it was his turn to be groomed. Every day he practiced lifting the legs to scratch out the hooves with the black foal._

_When Levin was done with Thonolan, he took the halters off both horses and let them run. Thonolan's legs were still too long or his neck too short to eat grass that his baby tummy could not tolerate. Nonetheless, that didn't stop him from imitating his mother's behavior. In a month or so Levin would start adding solid foods to Thonolan._

_After completing this part of his chores, he checked on Cahaya, who had lit the fire and finished the dough for the bread._

_"Do you have a special request for dinner?"_

_Cahaya looked up at Levin from his seated position. After a moment he averted his eyes. Levin couldn't read the expression, but saw it more and more often on Cahaya's face._

_"I saw some nutria on the bank earlier. We could sell the skin for good money in the next village."_

_Cahaya put flat cakes on the hot stones to bake them into bread. "And you really like the meat," he added. He looked at Levin, waiting for his opinion._

_"If that's what you want, we'll see what we can get you." With a quick swipe, he stole a handful of nuts from the bag and turned quickly out of reach when Cahaya tried to slap him._

_"The nuts are for the bread. Tomorrow I will make sure that you have fewer nuts in your bread than I do."_

_Levin just laughed and whistled for the young wolf. Jondalar came running. He stood on his hind paws, front paws on Levin's chest, trying to lick his chin. Levin tossed Jondalar's head, scratched behind his ears, and put his arm around him to hug him briefly._

_Cahaya watched Levin with concern. He held back with difficulty to scold the wolf that he should be more careful. The wound on Levin's arm was still not fully healed, which is why it was tied in a sling across his chest._

_If Levin noticed his look, he didn't comment on it._

_Until a few days ago, Cahaya was almost a little jealous of Levin because the wolf was always by Levin's side, except when Cahaya was cooking, then he would lie near the fire in the hope (which very quickly became a certainty) to receive a few chunks in addition to his ration._

_But Jondalar had defended him with his life when the Wraith attacked. Ayla's maternal instincts went highwire, she had become even more fierce in the defense of her son, she dislocated shoulders, smashed hips and fatally hit the skull of one of the attackers._

_Cahaya found himself in the middle of this terrible turmoil, both arms tightly wrapped around Thonolan. When one of the Wraith came too close, Cahaya stood in front of the foal and closed his eyes. He heard a guttural sound,_ Levin _,_ _and felt something nudge his foot. He looked down and shuddered. Disgusted, he kicked the Wraith's severed head. The sound of cracking bones when Ayla's hoof accidentally landed on it after a strong backward kick made his stomach turn._

_When it was all over, Cahaya went to the bank to throw up. He didn't notice Levin running up to him, frowning, concern in his eyes. He didn't even recognize that Levin was injured._

_How can a person, a whole race, endure such a slaughter, have pledged their whole existence for fighting, make killing a life's work? How dulled must their senses be in relation to the suffering of another person in order not to have these hideous images in their heads every day?_

_He still had nightmares about what had happened, the blood, the corpses. He woke up to see Levin's face, his wild eyes, splatter of blood on his face before the vivid memory faded. He appreciated that Jondalar had given up his sleeping place with Levin and was now lying next to him, giving him comfort and security. Cahaya then pulled the wolf closer, buried its head in its thick ruff, one arm tucked between its front legs, seeking solace and warmth from the wolf._

_Cahaya was glad about Levin's ability to fight, of course, because that was the only reason they had survived this attack in the first place. Five wraith versus two travelers was not an even fight. But five Wraith were not superior to a warrior, a protective mother mare and a wolf._

_The only one who had been injured was Levin, who always wanted to keep an eye on the defenseless and unprotected Cahaya. A long wound on the upper arm was the result._

_This place was difficult to sew, but Cahaya did his best. Levin didn't change his face._

_Cahaya had tried to take on some of Levin's chores._

_"I don't want or need your help!" He wasn't exactly yelling, but he made it very clear that he wanted to and would get along on his own._

_Again and again Cahaya's fingers itched to come to his aid but he refrained and rather let the proud, stubborn warrior see for himself how he could cope with all on his own. Cahaya saw him struggling, heard him curse, but he stood firm and kept his distance._

_The only thing that Cahaya insisted on and that no one would dissuade him from was the daily care of the wound. While cleaning and bandaging, Cahaya found that there was more than this one scar on Levin's body._

_Once, as he ran his finger along one of the scars that followed the arch of Levin's clavicle, he felt Levin shudder._

_Cahaya was aware that Levin watched him over the next few days when he tended to the wound, always looking away, but never for long. But Cahaya didn't dare to touch Levin anywhere else than the injured arm, even if the hair on the chest fascinated and attracted him. He didn't want the warrior to feel uncomfortable, he owed it to him to respect his limits._

_When Jondalar realized that Levin was going to hunt, the young wolf jumped excitedly around the warrior._

_While playing, Levin recognized that the canidae had a talent for retrieving things and built on that. The fur of the first hare Jondalar brought back to him wasn't usable. His sharp teeth had left clear holes. He still hadn't understood that he wasn't allowed to play with Levin's prey._

_Cahaya made a toy for Jondalar from several of these bits (or rather scraps) of the hare's skins, with which he and Levin trained him to retrieve the intact loot._

_He had made a kind of harness for Jondalar, with small pockets on the side with which he could carry the bagged small game to the fire. As soon as Levin put this harness on him, he knew they were going hunting._

_It was something the wolf enjoyed, as opposed to grooming, which Jondalar hated. His pathetic howling could be heard from far away. Undeterred, Levin had developed a routine. When the companions took a break at lunchtime so that Alya could suckle her son Thonolan, Jondalar was first groomed, then they played. If the warrior had one thing, it was time and patience with animals._

_After a while, Levin and Jondalar came back to Cahaya with three nutria. The animals were considerably larger than the hares Levin could often hunt for dinner. Jondalar lugged one on either side of his harness, Levin carried the other._

_Cahaya took care of the killed animals. The fur was still a bit bristly, he would later pluck the harsh hair out._

_He hung two of the nutria over the fire. With foresight he had dug a hole and placed hot stones in it. He filled the third nutria with various herbs, carrots and roots, wrapped it in large leaves and placed it on the hot stones in the hole that he filled up again._

_It would take a couple of hours for the meat to cook through. It would be a welcome change from soup and his flatbread in the early morning. Or maybe it would be their lunch the next day. The two nutria roasting on the spit over the fire were enough for Levin, Cahaya, and Jondalar._

_He left Levin alone with dinner and went down to the bank. He undressed and waded into the warm river._

_Levin watched him. Since the Wraith attack, he has not tried to hide the fact that he is keeping guard over him._

_Cahaya swam for a few minutes, enjoying the feel of the water like a caress around his body._

_The river had become wider, the current faster, the water no longer splashed along the river bed as gently as at the beginning of their journey._

_So much had changed, not just the area and the river. Their group, originally consisting of Levin, Cahaya and Ayla, had grown through Jondalar and Thonolan._

_Their relationship had changed, developed. At first they were two strangers who kept their distance, suspicious in some areas of the other. Now they confided about their lives._

_They had serious, in-depth conversations. Each of them learned to understand each other's actions better the more they ascertained about the culture and upbringing of their people._

_When one was despairing, the other was there to give confidence._

_What if we don't find the enchanted spring? ~ We'll find it, the river will lead us there._

_What if what is claimed about the enchanted spring is not true? ~ All the legends are true._

_Cahaya stayed in the water longer than usual. He rolled over on his back and let the current carry him away a little. The nutria took longer to cook than the birds or other rodents that were normally on their menu._

_He got out of the water, dried off, and dressed. Levin looked up at him as he neared the fire. Cahaya touched his shoulder gently and sat across from him on the other side of the fire._

_Carefully he took the food off the skewer and divided it between two plates and a bowl. Like it or not, Cahaya cut Levin’s serving into several smaller pieces that he could more easily eat with one hand._

_Jondalar had to wait until they had finished supper and his portion was cold._

_Levin later carried the dishes to the river to rinse and wash himself. Cahaya hadn't allowed him to take a bath in the river for the past few days out of consideration for the long wound on his upper arm._

_It was still light when he returned to the campfire. Normally he would carve one of his figures, but with only one hand? He was a little restless just sitting and doing nothing but watching Alya and Thonolan and caressing Jondalar._

_Cahaya tossed a piece of nutria skin into his lap. Levin looked up to see Cahaya plucking the hard bristles from her fur. The warrior looked at the fur on his lap and then at Cahaya, who raised an eyebrow defiantly._

_In Moya (he didn't want to call it home, no more) he had warm gloves made of soft nutria fur. He wedged the fur between his thighs and plucked the hard bristles. Necessity made inventive._

_He was so engrossed in his task, he wasn't aware of Cahaya's smile._

_When it was time to get ready for the sheep, Levin checked in on Ayla and her son._

_Cahaya put a few more twigs in the fire and wrapped himself in his two blankets. Jondalar lay down on his other side and warmed his back._

_He listened to Levin tossing and turning, his soft sighs._

_"What is it that is keeping you from sleeping, teman? Do you feel any pain?"_

_"No, it's nothing, go back to sleep," Levin fended off Cahaya's question._

_Cahaya was almost asleep when he heard Levin's low voice. "Caya?"_

_"Yes, teman?"_

_"I think we're almost there. I have a feeling we're not far from the enchanted spring. What do you think will await us?"_

_Cahaya thought for a moment. "Honestly, I don't know. I've been so determined to reach the enchanted spring over the past few months that I haven't really worried about what will happen when we're actually there."_

_According to the legend, a supplicant could express a wish below the enchanted spring._

_And then the legend got a little blurry, because Moya's and Chulak's versions did not quite agree on the requirements for expressing the wish._

_This legend has been passed on orally for centuries, and as is so often the case, many clues had been added or some knowledge was simply forgotten over time._

_Some spoke of 'the one who is pure of heart' or 'the innocent', others defined the chosen one as 'the strongest where others see weakness' or 'the unconstrained'._

_Furthermore, the legend spoke of 'two like one' but with no further hints, neither could say for sure what that might mean._

_In silence they pondered their own thoughts._

_"Teman?"_

_"Yes, Caya?"_

_"Do you think it will work out? That the enchanted spring actually fulfills wishes?"_

_"I can't help but believe in it. Otherwise I would have turned back months ago, but where did I go? Back to Moya? What else do we have but faith, hope?"_

_The silence that followed was broken only by Jondalar's snoring and panting in his sleep._

_"Caya?"_

_"Yes, teman?"_

_"What will your wish be?"_

_"Freedom ... independence ... contentment."_

_"Those are good wishes. Good night, Caya!"_

_"Good night, teman!"_

_The next morning, Cahaya warmed the soup he had made from the edible entrails of the three nutria. The three of them shared the bread that was left over from dinner._

_They packed up their things and belongings and set out to continue their journey._

_At first it wasn't even noticeable, because the slope was very flat, but gradually it went more and more uphill. At one point Cahaya turned. He called Levin and together they took this moment to look back. They realized that the plain they had crossed for months could actually be called a valley._

_Around noon, the path that was between the Vëoht Adurna river on one side and the forest on the other made a slight curve and gave way to a surprising sight._

_They had reached their destiny. Just a few meters from where they stood was a lake surrounded on three sides by high rocks. The water from the mountain spring flowed from a crevice like a miniature waterfall into the lake._

_"Frell! A lake!"_

_"Yes, indeed. It's a lake," repeated Cahaya, perplexed._

_"Below the source," Levin quoted the legend._

_Both knew what this meant: they had to cross the lake._

_Levin looked at Cahaya with a serious expression. "You go alone and let your wishes come true. I will wait here for you."_

_Levin hadn't quite finished speaking when Cahaya was already shaking his head. "No way. We go together. We came all the way to this point together, and we will master the rest together."_

_"Cahaya, the enchanted spring is at the other end of the lake. I can't swim!" Levin's words reflected his despair, his frustration._

_With a resigned sigh, he turned away._

_"Levin, wait!" Cahaya grabbed Levin's unharmed arm and held him tight. "Let's set up camp, rest and eat. When we've strengthened ourselves, let's think about what to do next."_

_Levin answered with a curt nod._

_He put his luggage on the floor, freed Ayla from her harness and patted her croup. The mare took a few steps into the lake. She dipped her whole nose in the water to drink, not just her lips._

_Thonolan followed suit. It was the first time that he drank anything other than breast milk. He didn't seem to like it because he thwacked the water with his hoof defiantly before backing away._

_The splashing caught Jondalar's attention. Again and again he jumped up and playfully snapped at the small fountains that the squirting water produced._

_At some point, the game of the young, animal friends resulted in a wild race._

_With a pleasant moan, Ayla sank to the ground and turned on her back, wallowing in the shallow water on the bank._

_Levin helped Cahaya collect some firewood. Their lunch consisted of the nutria that had been buried in the ground for several hours the day before. There was some bread left for Jondalar and a large carrot that the wolf held between its paws to eat._

_After they finished their lunch, Cahaya went to the lake and got water. As always after dinner, he made tea. They sat next to each other and looked out over the lake in silence._

_Jondalar surveyed the area in a wolf-like manner, sniffing the plants that were growing on the bank, scratching the soil. He wasn't afraid of water, which is why he went a few meters into the lake to drink, as Ayla had done before. His tail sank down relaxed. But when the tip touched the surface of the water, he quickly raised it again._

_"The lake appears to be shallow," Cahaya noted._

_"Perhaps on the bank, but at the source?" He sipped the hot tea._

_"I could wade into the water so we can see where it gets deep and how deep it gets. And then you come after," Cahaya suggested._

_A little forlorn Levin looked in his mug. "I can't even remove the sling without your help," he said softly._

_"Levin, I'll help you undress. I won't let you down." It broke Cahaya's heart to see his friend like this. So close to fulfillment and yet too far away._

_Levin thought about Cahaya's words, about what it meant._

_Either Cahaya went into the water and Levin waited naked on the bank until Cahaya gave him a sign that he could follow him. Levin did not feel comfortable staying back, naked, and even less comfortable at the thought of being watched by Cahaya wading several meters completely bare through the lake until the water covered his nakedness._

_What other alternatives did he have?_

_Cahaya going into the water to the point where the lake gets deeper, coming back and helping Levin to undress._

_No, that was out of the question._

_He just couldn't._

_It was different to see him from afar when he took a bath in the river in the evening. But having a naked man, Cahaya, help him undress was not … safe for him._

_For him it was partly a question of his strict upbringing, that nothing can be what shouldn't be, for only to their wedded spouse the warriors of Moya showed themselves without clothes._

_Levin didn't trust himself. He wasn't fooling himself any more._

_Cahaya took care of him, tended his wound, touched him. He felt things that he didn't know, but which he nevertheless wanted to explore more closely._

_On the other hand, he admired and envied Cahaya for his natural way of dealing with his body and nakedness. He wished he could too._

_Levin was torn._

_He got up and offered a hand to Cahaya to help him up. Curious, Cahaya let himself be pulled to his feet._

_"We're going together. Now!"_

_Cahaya knew when it was time to be silent. He undid the knot of the sling in Levin's neck and the knot that fastened the arm to his torso._

_Carefully he moved Levin's arm, whose muscles were stiff from the long immobility and the angled position, into which the sling had forced the arm for a long period of time. He helped Levin take off his shirt and took another look at the wound. It had healed nicely. It would be a few more days, however, before Cahaya could pull the strings. He turned to give Levin some privacy as he pulled off his pants._

_Facing the enchanted spring, he waited for Levin. They hadn't put the sling back on, but he kept his arm pressed against his body._

_Cahaya quickly undressed and folded his and Levin's clothes and placed them with towels in a pile near the bank._

_Side by side they entered the lake. At the beginning the subsoil consisted of small pebbles, which got bigger and more uneven the further they went into the lake._

_The first steps were no problem for Levin. When the water reached his knees, Cahaya took Levin's hand, to keep him in a steady state. Despite the natural grace and the learned equilibrium the warrior had slight difficulties to keep his balance without shoes and without using his two arms._

_And so they still went into the water together._

_When the lake reached up to their chests, the warm water suddenly swirled up, enveloped them, separated them._

_Cahaya was alone. Standing surrounded by water like the eye of a storm. He turned, looking for his mate, but all he saw was moving water around him._

**What is your desire, son of Chulak?**

_He heard a whisper, many voices like one._

_"Where's Levin? What happened?"_

**He's fine. We don't like having to repeat ourselves.**

_Cahaya had no choice but to trust the voices and that Levin was actually fine._

_With thought or well-formulated words, he expressed his desire for freedom for his people and independence from Moya._

_Just as suddenly as the water was whirled up, it subsided again. Cahaya lost his footing when the tides came crashing down on him._

_When he found solid ground under his feet, he stood with his legs apart, the water reached up to his neck. He looked around anxiously, searching for his friend._

_"LEVIN!"_

_Panic rose in him. He blamed himself terribly for not insisting on teaching him how to swim._

_"LEVIN!"_

_He turned once more as Levin's body drifted from the depths of the lake to the surface. Lying on his stomach, he floated motionless in the water._

_"No! Levin!" Quick, Cahaya swam over to him. His pleading grew lower and lower the closer he got to him._

_"Nonono!" He turned Levin onto his back, brushed the hair off his forehead, felt for a pulse. "Stay with me, please. Stay with me."_

_Swimming, Cahaya pulled him ashore. As soon as he was in the waist-deep lake, he carried him into the shallow water._

_He felt Levin's pulse again. Weak, but there._

_He bent the warrior's head back, held his nose and breathed into his mouth._

_He could have cried for joy when Levin took a shuddering breath. He turned his cough to one side and vomited lake water._

_Exhausted, Levin dropped onto his back._

_"You live!" Relief flooded Cahaya, who knelt beside him._

_He cupped his face, stroking his cheeks, searching his eyes. Leaning down, he crushed their lips together. Cahaya only realized what he had done, when Levin reciprocated the kiss._

_Startled, Cahaya broke the kiss. Uncertainly, he looked at Levin. He had never seen the warrior so vulnerable._

_Cahaya wanted to back away, but Levin's strong arms around his shoulders and waist prevented this, pulling him even closer._

_"Your arm! Be careful!"_

_Levin raised his arm and let Cahaya take a look at the wound. It was healed! Not even a scar was left._

_Cahaya gently touched the slightly reddish strip of skin where there had previously been a deep wound. Cahaya kissed the spot that he had been carefully tending to for several days._

_Levin shivered beneath him._

_His deep breaths made Cahaya bolder. His mouth went up his arm, kissed his shoulder and collarbone. Very lightly, very gently, he nibbled at Levin's throat before his lips found their home on Levin's._

_Cahaya slowed down the kiss when he realized that Levin's body was responding to the smoothing. They were still naked, lying in the shallow water near the shore._

_He placed several lingering pecks on Levin's lips and let himself slide off the body he was lying on. He snuggled up to Levin's side and for the first time allowed himself to let his hand roam over Levin's chest._

**You have met the requirements. The one untouched, the other enjoys every aspect of life. One takes another's life, the other cherishes every moment. And yet they are one; in their hearts and their desires for change, sealed with a true love's kiss.**

**Your wish is granted to you. Go back to your worlds, your people will follow your example.**

_Cahaya straightened up, propped himself up on his elbow. "Sayang, we did it!" A wide, happy laugh was on both of their faces._

**But be aware: There are five beings at this lake. The lifespan of the people present here is extended by the same number.**

**The existences of those who drank from the lake today are linked by a bond. Your animal companions will share this life expectancy with you and will only part from this world when you too leave.**

**The spring, the rock and the lake will now disappear and only appear for new seekers when all five of you are no longer.**

_Cahaya stroked Levin's cheek tenderly. "It looks like you're stuck with me."_

_Levin uprighted into a sitting position. He looked down at Cahaya with a serious expression. "Cahaya, you once explained to me that your name means 'the one who is the light in darkness'. Do you remember?"_

_Cahaya sat cross-legged in front of Levin, their knees touching. He took Levin's hands in his, returned Levin's gaze and nodded._

_"Caya, that is exactly what you are for me. Through you, I no longer see the world in black and white. Through you I learned what colors are."_

_Levin moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue and continued: "And now you are the light in darkness for the whole world. We are blessed. No matter how long we live. Regardless of whether it is extended five times, fifty times or five hundred times. I can't wait to spend every minute with you."_

I want to play with the fire in these eyes, _Cahaya_ _thought at Levin's passionately enunciated confession._

_He replied seriously: "I don't know when it happened, but at some point on the way, I fell hopelessly in love with you. Out of consideration for you, out of respect for your warrior caste, I never act on my feelings." Cahaya's thumb brushed Levin's knuckles._

_Levin tightened the grip of his hands, let himself sink back, and pulled Cahaya with him. "Don't hold back. Not for me. Not anymore."_

_As he fell, his arms embraced the love of his life, the most precious creature he had ever touched._

_Neither of them noticed the disappearance of the enchanted spring._

A heart shaped sigh broke away from Magnus' chest. 

Magnus closed the book and placed it on his stomach. He was snuggled back to Alec on the sofa, using his chest as a pillow. 

Nuzzling Magnus' ear, Alec whispered: "Read the dedication."

Magnus opened the book again and turned the first pages. 

_For Magnus, the love of my life, the light in my darkness. Like Levaya, chance may have brought us together. But care, mutual respect and deep affection despite our individual quirks keep us together. This is our breeding ground for true love._

"Do you like it?" 

Magnus' fingertips traced the picture on the cover of the book. "It's perfect," he whispered. 

Alec snatched the book from Magnus and threw it on the coffee table. Magnus turned in Alec's arms to indulge in their own true love's kiss.

They may have no enchanted spring, and yet their wishes have come true.

  
  


The End 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Teman is Indonesian for a male person who is close to another in friendship, according to Google translator. 
> 
> I have incorporated bits and pieces of various TV shows and books. I am curious to see if anyone will recognize this. 
> 
> And thank you my wonderful beta [myblackeyedboy](http://myblackeyedboy.tumblr.com) for patiently sorting out all of my mistakes. Any remaining are entirely mine.
> 
> Last but definitely not least: Thank you [Jess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuscleMemory/pseuds/MuscleMemory) for listening and encouraging.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are very welcome. 😉 I would love to hear your thoughts or favourite lines.
> 
> For suggestions and complaints you can find me at  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/Imandras)  
> or  
> [tumblr](https://imandras.tumblr.com)
> 
> #SaveShadowhunters ➰  
> #Shadowhunters 💕  
> #MalecForever 💞


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